Another refresher as to why we hate West Ham...

[Maldon Blues]

I don't see the problem i the guy's post. He said that Southend is West Ham territory. Southend is West Ham territory! He didn't say it's more West Ham than Southend, and he didn't belittle Southend as a Club, either!

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Had you grown up a Southend fan in Southend at a time when the place was overrun with hamsters who weren't slow to try and put down "little" Southend you would understand.

Well, you would have to explain this one to me, you being from Yorkshire.

I spent some 30 years in Southend - surely that qualifies me as "growing up a Southend fan in Southend" unless you have secret formulae that suggests otherwise - but don't seem to have had the apparent misfortune to have been "overrun with hamsters". Indeed, as I said above, I spent many a Friday night at Roots Hall on the North Bank in the company of West Ham fans. If that makes me some sort of pariah then so be it; I have the maturity to accept that.

Much against your implication, such rivalry simply didn't exist only a few years ago. Many a weekend was spent watching Southend United on a Friday and then travelling to London to watch West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. Many people went through exactly the same routine; it's quite common for people to have loyalties split between two clubs: a top-flight (aka "big") club and a smaller lower league outfit. This is what happened in Southend-on-Sea. Accept it. Toss away this ridiculous notion of inferiority.

The club shop. Jeez. What some people simply can't accept is that demographics suggested that the location of a WHUFC clup shop in Southend would be economical advantageous for the club. It could have been Tottenham Hotspur; it could have been Chelsea; it could have been any other team that a demographic analysis of Southend-on-Sea might have suggested would be profitable to locate a club shop. It is verifably accurate that the vast majority of football fans in Southend-on-Sea and the rest of South Essex name West Ham United as their primary choice of support. Therefore it stands to reason that the Hammers commercial department are going to look at as many locations as possible to extract money out of their fans. We can go on about this until we're blue in the face (no pun intended) but some people simply have to accept that a WHUFC clup shop in Southend made economical sense for the football club until such time as a centralised core was established at the Boleyn Ground. I stand by what I say: it's lucky these people don't go into business because they simply cannot remove any prejudices or make any economically-viable decisions that would benefit their enterprise ...

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I don't see the problem i the guy's post. He said that Southend is West Ham territory. Southend is West Ham territory! He didn't say it's more West Ham than Southend, and he didn't belittle Southend as a Club, either!

Apparently there's a inferiority complex sweeping through the town, Mark. Much like yourself, I couldn't find any obvious denigration of Southend United; it's people and their wonderful misplaced minds ...

 

[biffo]

My hatred for the Spammers went up ten fold after having to endure their plastic fans celebrating their, quite frankly, ludicrious win at Blackburn in Varsity, like they had escaped their inevitable relegation. They even had that sh*te bubbles guff played at the start of the second half and at FT.

:mad:

I did cheer up however, when after the game all the Southend lads started up a rendition of 'down with the Watford!'

;)

Well, this has stirred up a hornets nest!

You might describe 'bubbles' as 'guff' but at least it is a song with association to one club only. Deep down, dont you wish southend could claim the same?

 

[Sherif H]

lol...Biffo, as said previously, I wholeheartedly welcome other opinions, but are you wearing claret and blue under your Southend shirt?!

 

[CC51DAS]

Suggest we have a hearty rendition of ' stand up if you hate West Ham ' at the Barnsley match to flush out the closet hamsters

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

You might describe 'bubbles' as 'guff' but at least it is a song with association to one club only. Deep down, dont you wish southend could claim the same?

I do, biffo. The Shrimpers have never had a decent song that it could call its own. They made an half-hearted attempt four or five years ago with that awful Chas 'n' Dave "Seasiders" effort which Terry Alderton got involved with but - and I chuckle at the irony - it simply made the club sound even MORE like a bunch of Eastenders than ever before! I think the "Bubbles" anthem is a real stirring anthem when it's belted out by 25,000 Hammers at the Boleyn Ground on matchday. What we would give for something similar, eh?

 

[CC51DAS]

It won't have the same ring about it in League 1

 

[Prodigal Son]

Apparently there's a inferiority complex sweeping through the town, Mark. Much like yourself, I couldn't find any obvious denigration of Southend United; it's people and their wonderful misplaced minds ...

My dislike of the Hamsters is well recorded on this site, living in Bas Vegas I can't help but mix with some Hamsters. They seem to wish us well, expect me to get them a row of tickets next to me in the West Stand if they go down next season because there must be plenty of seats because they think that only me and my son support the Shrimpers.

Our latest generation of fans do seem 100% navy blue, that is a terrific thing and no mixed loyalties. My grandparents lived outside Upton Park for a long time, and when my Mum and Dad got married on a match day the Hamsters asked them to move the wedding cars as they could not get parked to go to the match. But in the past or the present, never let let the Hamsters be described as arrogant.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

But in the past or the present, never let let the Hamsters be described as arrogant.

Surely that should read "nothing but arrogant" especially in the present day what with all this "Academy of Football" b*llocks. Another team with "huge clubitis" who's halfwit (a generalisation before anyone starts) support demand a constant level of success they've not earned - much like the reasons I hate Spurs too.

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I wonder, how does one earn a "constant level of success"?

 

[biffo]

lol...Biffo, as said previously, I wholeheartedly welcome other opinions, but are you wearing claret and blue under your Southend shirt?!

Ha Ha, well yes, i suppose i am. I support southend united whole heartedly but still follow west ham

 

[biffo]

Surely that should read "nothing but arrogant" especially in the present day what with all this "Academy of Football" b*llocks. Another team with "huge clubitis" who's halfwit (a generalisation before anyone starts) support demand a constant level of success they've not earned - much like the reasons I hate Spurs too.

Well, i can agree with you on one thing for sure, west ham is no longer an academy of football, thats for sure. But you cant blame their fans, halfwit or not, for dreaming of those halcean days of brooking and devonshire. In a way, i can respect those of you that dont want to look beyond your own fish bowls but just cant understand this hatred for a club & supporters that have never had any beef with southend and its supporters.

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

In a way, i can respect those of you that dont want to look beyond your own fish bowls but just cant understand this hatred for a club & supporters that have never had any beef with southend and its supporters.

Me neither ...

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

I wonder, how does one earn a "constant level of success"?

Well that's exactly my point, although I fear you maybe misunderstood what I'm trying to get at.

West Ham win the playoffs in the Championship, that summer & next season their fans demand they qualify for Europe.

West Ham/Spurs challenge for Europe, the next season they demand Champions League football.

My point is most of these guys need to get real. Yes, they can usually attract 40,000 every week but again that is based on demographics & geography.

Whether we may ever agree on the SUFC v WHUFC rivalry (some might say it is and always will be a one-way thing), you surely cannot deny some of the comments relating to their abominable league performances this season as well as those after thier joke of a win on Saturday, show up some of the Spammers for what they are (and before you say it, all clubs have this to some extent, just look at the idiotic Tilly Out campaign of November/December!)

Having not lived in Southend for years I don't pretend to feel the local animosity about them taking over our town as some do. I just don't like their "football snob" attitude about "we're better than you", again, exactly why I hate Spurs too! Ipswich & Leeds have also showed over the last week, many of their fans are exactly the same. "Big" club living off past glories!

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Well, i can agree with you on one thing for sure, west ham is no longer an academy of football, thats for sure. But you cant blame their fans, halfwit or not, for dreaming of those halcean days of brooking and devonshire.

But is it not better to look forward than to look back?
You don't get Bradford & Barnsley fans bemoaning they don't get to FA Cup Finals anymore like they did in the 1920s...............

What ever happened to Alan Devonshire?

 

[C C Csiders]

But is it not better to look forward than to look back?
You don't get Bradford & Barnsley fans bemoaning they don't get to FA Cup Finals anymore like they did in the 1920s...............

What ever happened to Alan Devonshire?

I believe he is manager of Hampton and Richmond, or one of the Ryman League clubs that is an 'and'

Walton and Hersham
Tooting and Mitcham
Morecambe and Wise etc......

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Well that's exactly my point, although I fear you maybe misunderstood what I'm trying to get at. West Ham win the playoffs in the Championship, that summer & next season their fans demand they qualify for Europe. West Ham/Spurs challenge for Europe, the next season they demand Champions League football.

But surely that would be applicable to most clubs, even ours? You don't *tend* to get fans celebrating a promotion or a good finish and then follow it up with a fear of relegation. Even some of our own fans were expecting Southend United to finish in the play-offs; a poll conducted by this forum last summer recorded two or three individuals who expected automatic promotion! That's just the normal expectations of a devoted football supporter. To denigrate West Ham (and Tottenham) fans for such expectations is surely ridiculous?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Well, you would have to explain this one to me, you being from Yorkshire.

I spent some 30 years in Southend - surely that qualifies me as "growing up a Southend fan in Southend" unless you have secret formulae that suggests otherwise - but don't seem to have had the apparent misfortune to have been "overrun with hamsters". Indeed, as I said above, I spent many a Friday night at Roots Hall on the North Bank in the company of West Ham fans. If that makes me some sort of pariah then so be it; I have the maturity to accept that.

Much against your implication, such rivalry simply didn't exist only a few years ago. Many a weekend was spent watching Southend United on a Friday and then travelling to London to watch West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. Many people went through exactly the same routine; it's quite common for people to have loyalties split between two clubs: a top-flight (aka "big") club and a smaller lower league outfit. This is what happened in Southend-on-Sea. Accept it. Toss away this ridiculous notion of inferiority.

The club shop. Jeez. What some people simply can't accept is that demographics suggested that the location of a WHUFC clup shop in Southend would be economical advantageous for the club. It could have been Tottenham Hotspur; it could have been Chelsea; it could have been any other team that a demographic analysis of Southend-on-Sea might have suggested would be profitable to locate a club shop. It is verifably accurate that the vast majority of football fans in Southend-on-Sea and the rest of South Essex name West Ham United as their primary choice of support. Therefore it stands to reason that the Hammers commercial department are going to look at as many locations as possible to extract money out of their fans. We can go on about this until we're blue in the face (no pun intended) but some people simply have to accept that a WHUFC clup shop in Southend made economical sense for the football club until such time as a centralised core was established at the Boleyn Ground. I stand by what I say: it's lucky these people don't go into business because they simply cannot remove any prejudices or make any economically-viable decisions that would benefit their enterprise ...

I'm not disputing that it made economic sense to open a wet sham club shop in Southend. What I'm disputing is that we should like the fact that it made economic sense for the hamsters to open a club shop in Southend. We shouldn't. Southend should be Southend United territory. Any club who competes for fans' loyalties in Southend is in my opinion our rivals.

For my not so secret formula for why its rational for Southend fans brought up in Southend over the last 30 years to dislike West Ham, you miss out one important factor: being a Southend fan. You've already admitted your hamster roots. I can understand that growing up supporting West Ham you don't feel any rivalry, but for those of us who grew up being taunted by hamsters for supporting our local team, we don't feel that way.

Even if you did grow up with Southend as your team, you've failed to account for things changing. Just because things were like that for you, shouldn't mean that my view and my experience is invalid. I believe my experience is shared by many other Southend fans.

And this is why I shall be celebrating in a month or so's time when the hamsters are officially relegated.

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I have never implied that your experience is invalid and I apologise if it came across as such. I appreciate that times may have changed since "I were a lad" but I can't believe that it has changed to such an extent that Shrimpers and Hamsters are now at each other throats on a Saturday evening down the High Street.

BTW - Objection, your honour. I didn't grow up *supporting* West Ham, I simply followed their progress (and still do) because of the family connection.